Fiji, Sept. 7 -- Forum Leaders gathering in Honiara this week have been put on notice by Pacific civil society that regionalism will lose credibility unless it defends civic space, prioritises human rights, and puts people over extractive growth and geopolitics.

In a political briefing paper titled Strengthening Pacific Regionalism through Civil Society Partnership, the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance called on Leaders to recommit to "people-centred, rights-based, and inclusive regionalism" that confronts militarisation, exploitation, and shrinking civic space.

The PRNGOs Alliance, which brings together church groups, community networks, and advocacy organisations, set out four urgent asks:

*Renew the ...